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In Utero Exposure to Maternal Overweight or Obesity is Associated with Altered Offspring Brain Function in Middle

Allison L B Shapiro1,2, Brianna F Moore2,3, Brianne Sutton4

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Section of Endocrinology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|August 11, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Children exposed to maternal obesity in pregnancy show altered brain function, including hyperactivity and weaker connectivity. This study highlights potential neurodevelopmental impacts of prenatal exposure to maternal overweight and obesity.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Maternal overweight and obesity during pregnancy are linked to offspring metabolic health issues.
  • Neurodevelopmental outcomes in children exposed to maternal obesity are less understood.
  • This research addresses the gap in knowledge regarding brain function in these children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate brain function in children exposed to maternal overweight or obesity in utero.
  • To compare brain function between children exposed to maternal obesity and those born to mothers with healthy BMI.
  • To identify specific alterations in brain activity and connectivity.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
  • Studied 101 typically developing children aged 4-6 years from the Healthy Start longitudinal cohort.
  • Assessed neuronal activity and connectivity during a passive movie viewing task.

Main Results:

  • Children exposed to maternal overweight/obesity exhibited hyperactivity in the left posterior cingulate cortex.
  • Hypoactivity was observed in the dorsal anterior cingulate and supplementary motor area.
  • Ubiquitously weaker brain connectivity was found in the exposed group.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal exposure to maternal overweight and obesity is associated with altered brain function in young children.
  • Findings suggest potential neurodevelopmental consequences of the maternal metabolic environment.
  • Highlights the need for further research into long-term effects.
Abstract

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